Gambling in California

Morongo Casino Resort & Spa is an Indian gaming casino, of the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians, located in Cabazon, California (Carol Highsmith, 2013)

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of California include cardrooms, Indian casinos, the California State Lottery, parimutuel wagering on horse racing, and charitable gaming. Commercial casino-style gaming is prohibited.

Cardrooms

Licensed cardrooms may offer approved card games in which players vie against each other (rather than against the house), such as poker.^[1] As of 2019, there were 66 cardrooms operating in the state (and another 21 licensed but not operating).^[2] Since 1995, there has been a moratorium on new cardrooms.^[3][4] The industry generated $850 million in revenue after payouts in 2018.^[3]

Non-banked card games such as poker have always been legal in the state.^[5] The California Penal Code, enacted in 1872, prohibited several casino games by name, as well as all house-banked games, but did not outlaw poker.^[6] Cardrooms also operate non-banked versions of card games such as pai gow poker and baccarat, where players can take turns playing the dealer hand against the other players.^[7] However, in these cardrooms, an independent operator known in state law as a "third party provider of proposition services" usually acts as the "house" and the casino earns revenue on a fee charged to the proposition service provider and fees charged to players to play a hand.^[8][9][10] Statewide cardroom regulations were enacted in 1984.^[11] In 1997, the Gambling Control Act was adopted, which created the California Gambling Control Commission to regulate California cardrooms.^[11]

Charitable gaming

Eligible nonprofit organizations may operate bingo games,^[12] raffles,^[13] and poker nights.^[14] Organizations are limited to one poker night per year.^[14]

State voters in 1976 approved a constitutional amendment allowing counties and cities to legalize charitable bingo.^[15][16] An amendment to allow charitable raffles passed in 2000, and enabling legislation went into effect in 2001.^[17][18] Legislation allowing poker night fundraisers took effect in 2007.^[19][20]

Parimutuel wagering

Parimutuel wagering on horse racing is permitted at racetracks and satellite wagering facilities, and online through advance-deposit wagering providers.^[21][22] Extended racing meets are held throughout the year at five tracks: Cal Expo, Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita.^[23] Four other fairgrounds tracks hold brief meets in the summer and early fall.^[23] There are 27 satellite wagering facilities throughout the state, most of them found at county fairgrounds, cardrooms, and tribal casinos.^[24] Racing and wagering is regulated by the California Horse Racing Board.^[25] As of 2018, the annual amount wagered on California races was $3.2 billion, with $662 million retained after payouts.^[26]

Horse race wagering was legalized by voter referendum in 1933.^[27] Satellite wagering was first legalized at fairgrounds in 1985,^[28] and was expanded to private facilities in 2008.^[29] Advance-deposit wagering became legal in 2002.^[30]

Indian gaming

Federally recognized tribes can operate casinos under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. As of 2019, there were 63 casinos operated by 61 different tribes.^[31] The industry generates approximately $8 billion in annual revenue after payouts.^[3] Pursuant to tribal-state compacts negotiated with the state, tribes with larger casinos share a portion of their revenues with non-gaming or limited gaming tribes (those with fewer than 350 slot machines).^[32]

Lottery

The California State Lottery offers scratchcards and draw games, including the multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions games.^[33]

The Lottery was approved by voter referendum in 1984 and sold its first tickets in 1985.^[34]

See also

• California Bureau of Gambling Control
• California Gambling Control Commission
• List of casinos in California

References

1. Charlene Wear Simmons (May 2006). Gambling in the Golden State 1998 Forward (PDF) (Report). California State Library. p. 107. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
2. "Active Gambling Establishments in California". California Gambling Control Commission. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
3. "Overview of Gambling in California" (PDF). Legislative Analyst's Office. February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
4. SB 654: Local moratorium: Gambling tables (PDF) (Report). Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization. June 21, 2017. p. 2. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
5. Analysis of AB 317 (Report). Office of Senate Floor Analyses. 1999. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
6. Tibbetts v. Van de Kamp, 222 Cal. App. 3d 392, 393-94 (1990).
7. Cal. Penal Code Sec. 330.11; Bell Gardens v. City of Los Angeles, 231 Cal. App .3d 1563, 1568 (1991); California Gambling Law Resources
8. Lopez, Frank (2019-04-01). "'Proposition players' keep local card games steady". The Business Journal. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
9. "Third-Party Providers of Proposition Players Registration". State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
10. "Advantage Play in California Card Rooms". www.888casino.com. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
11. "Bureau of Gambling Control". Office of the Attorney General. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
12. Charlie LeDuff (November 25, 2002). "California bingo hall plays on world stage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
13. "Raffles". Office of the Attorney General. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
14. "Nonprofit Organization Gambling Fundraiser Registration Program". Office of the Attorney General. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
15. Joseph R. Grodin; Michael B. Salerno; Darien Shanske (2015). The California State Constitution. Oxford University Press. pp. 166–167. ISBN 978-0-19-998864-8.
16. "Opinion No. 96-1011" (PDF). Office of the Attorney General of California. December 31, 1998. p. 2.
17. Michael Gardner (July 17, 2000). "Raffles leave lawmakers in quandary". San Diego Union-Tribune – via NewsBank.
18. Andy Bruno; Steve Chae (May 29, 2001). "New law on raffles effective soon". San Jose Mercury News – via NewsBank.
19. Gina Faridniya (August 25, 2006). "State may OK casino nights Bill to let charities hold games sent to governor". Ventura County Star – via NewsBank.
20. Vic Pollard (January 1, 2007). "State's new laws go into effect". The Bakersfield Californian – via NewsBank.
21. "Horse Racing and California Fairs" (PDF). California Authority of Racing Fairs. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
22. "Advance Deposit Wagering". California Horse Racing Board. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
23. "2019 Racing Schedule". California Horse Racing Board. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
24. "Simulcast Facilities". California Horse Racing Board. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
25. "CHRB Mission Statement". California Horse Racing Board. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
26. 48th Annual Report of the California Horse Racing Board (PDF) (Report). California Horse Racing Board. 2018. p. 45. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
27. Hank Wesch (July 29, 1987). "Track survived hard times to flourish". San Diego Union-Tribune – via NewsBank.
28. Jeff Meyers (October 2, 1991). "Horse latitude: Ventura Fairgrounds provides alternative to track betting". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
29. Jack Shinar (December 15, 2010). "California sports bar to open mini-satellite". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
30. Don Thompson (August 26, 2002). "Remote wagering slow but steady in California". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
31. "Ratified Tribal-State Gaming Compacts (New and Amended)". California Gambling Control Commission. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
32. David Olson (April 27, 2015). "Tribal casinos: From poverty to payday". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, CA. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
33. "Play Overview". California State Lottery. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
34. Robert Crabbe (September 28, 1986). "California lottery meets with success, ambivalence". UPI. Retrieved 2019-03-02.